1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for increasing the effectiveness of the utilization of target-seeking ammunition articles, which include a sensor scanning a predetermined searching surface within the target area for target criteria in order to suppress dummy targets during evaluation for steering towards or homing on the target.
The employment of such methods is implemented for target-seeking ammunition in order to possibly avoid any attack against dummy targets and, thereby an ineffective utilization of the ammunition. This so-called intelligent ammunition can relate in the same measure to ballistically-fired ammunition, as well as to ammunition with their own propulsion devices (remote-controlled or self-steering projectiles or missiles); so that when, hereinafter, for purposes of simplifying the representation there is set forth a discussion of projectiles, no restriction is meant to apply to any specific types of target-seeking ammunition.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The usual methods of the foregoing technological type are based on an extraction of target data which are obtainable by means of active or passive position-finding devices; for instance, from the geometry, the radiation characteristics or the kinematics of targets of interest through means for mathematical data processing on board of the projectile in comparison with pregiven typical properties of this type, in order to avoid an attack against dummy targets, and to ensure favorable attack conditions for an optimum probability of disabling the target of interest. A typical example of data-processing techniques which can be employed for this purpose is described in German Patent No. 29 49 453 for a complex system, or is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,110 for a simpler target-detection sensor system.